Can Jaquan Johnson step into starting lineup if need arises?
While the Buffalo Bills do have Dean Marlowe, who has more experience, it wouldn’t be surprising if Jaquan Johnson was the first player up if there was an injury during the season.
The Bills drafted Johnson in the sixth round of last year’s NFL Draft and for most of the year he contributed on on special teams. He did get a chance in Week 17 to play a majority of the defensive snaps as the team rested their starters heading into the postseason. That game he finished with three total tackles.
However, going back to the preseason Johnson played well when he was on the field. He finished preseason with 24 total tackles, 3 passes defended and a key forced fumble and fumble recovery against the Detroit Lions. This came at a point when the Lions were driving just outside the red zone late in the game however Johnson forced the turnover and securing the win for the Bills.
If Johnson wasn’t going to be on the field with an experience safety this might be a bigger concern but given the opportunity, he should be able to do enough to not be a liability in the secondary.